Schroeder Has Mild Pain in His Abdomen

Mechanical heart patient William Schroeder suffered a “mild, non-specific” abdominal pain, but his surgeon indicated today that it was a minor ailment with no known cause.

“Dr. (William) DeVries is not overly concerned about the problem,” said Humana Hospital Audubon spokesman Robert Irvine.

Schroeder, 52, who became the world’s second permanent artificial heart recipient Nov. 25, experienced the pain Wednesday, two days after eating a seafood dinner that was a change of pace from his regular hospital fare.

Irvine said DeVries had not pinpointed the cause of the pain and had been unable to determine if it was related to the seafood served to Schroeder, who is a diabetic. From all indications the pain was brief, but DeVries did not say if the discomfort persisted, Irvine said.